Sights & Sounds: Hispanic Heritage luncheon honors Bishop Chau
The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children (SFIC) raised $110,000 for student scholarships at its inaugural Hispanic Heritage Month Leadership Luncheon on Sept. 15. The event honored Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau and drew 112 guests to the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center in Newark.
Bishop Chau, the first Nicaraguan-born bishop in the United States, grew emotional as he accepted his award. He spoke about immigrating to the United States as a teenager and his journey to becoming an auxiliary bishop. He also addressed the Deaf Catholics in attendance, whom he serves as the Archdiocese of Newark’s chaplain to the Deaf.
Aiding and inspiring students in need
In addition to celebrating Bishop Chau, visitors enjoyed dishes from multiple Hispanic countries and were treated to a Latin dance and music performance.
“Though this was only our first Hispanic Heritage Month Leadership Luncheon, I don’t think it could have gone any better,” said Michelle Hartman, Ph.D., chief executive officer of SFIC. “It was especially gratifying to honor Bishop Chau, who is an inspiration to all. His story demonstrates that anything is possible through the power of an education, which SFIC helps provide through our scholarships.”
This school year, SFIC offered nearly 1,000 scholarships to students in need. For more information about its work, visit www.sficnj.org.
To view more images from the inaugural SFIC Hispanic Heritage Month Leadership Luncheon, CLICK HERE.
Featured image: Auxiliary Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau of the Archdiocese of Newark was honored by the SFIC during its first-ever Hispanic Heritage Month Leadership Luncheon. (Photos courtesy of the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children/Neil van Niekerk)
